Hi all--It has been 6 months today since I had a cigarette and I still have to think of it as just a day at a time so I don't relapse. I have had a constant battle with weight all my life too so I guess I'm just one of those people who has had to fight to give up things maybe more than some. I'm heavy and I haven't put any effort into losing weight because to be honest it's just too darn hard right now and I can only do one life change at a time without going crazy. I am taking mood stabilizers and an antidepressant which I'm sure helps to add weight so I know they account for a little bit of the weight issue, but I do know I haven't been depriving myself so my hand to my mouth is to blame, too. I would like to find a weight loss program that doesn't really feel like a diet nor do I want to feel deprived. I know this would take a long time but that's okay. I can incorporate some exercise into the mix also. My question is has anyone else had a similar instance where they were successful after stopping smoking and lost some weight in a program or by their doctor and it didn't feel like they were depriving themselves ? Thanks so much--Hopeto--

After smoking for many, many years, I have finally quit. It is 2 months and 2 days and I haven't stopped craving just one drag (please!!) yet. I did not want to gain a lot of weight, though I knew some gain would be inevitable, and I have found that crunching on rice cakes and drinking lots of water have helped control things a bit. I've read in multiple places that the average gain is 4-10 lbs. Your metabolism changes. 6 months is a long time - congratulations!!